1/30/10

Carry out. Tip or no tip, you tell me!

Hi all!

It's my 50th post! Sorry I have been MIA. I have been working on finding a full time job (successful - I start Monday) and my computer with all my future blogs stored on it broke! Again. So, that's my excuse. But I will be doing the best I can in the future to add to this. I am going to be looking for a weekend job at a restaurant soon, I sort of miss the atmosphere. But enough about me!

Recently, I saw a blog from So you want to be a waiter about carry out orders and tipping. (You can find his link on my blog roll.. I'm not sure how to add a link to my posts. The article was about carry out food:
http://teleburst.wordpress.com/2010/01/27/why-should-i-tip-for-to-go-food-pt-1/

I agree with what he has said.. basically you should tip when you go for carry out.. at least something. I usually tip a little more than ten percent.

Carry out orders are the same as in house orders except that you don't refill their glasses. Really you take their order, put them in at the kitchen, gather the food and sauces together and make the transaction. It takes time, and most people don't like to do this job because they never get tipped out.

I will admit that before I waited tables, I didn't tip on carry out. I can imagine their scowls as I left the restaurant, annoyed that yet another customer came and left without acknowledging their hard work. But I didn't think about the work that went into it.

I'm wondering what other people do. Do you tip out carry out orders, and, if you do, how much on average? And those of you who have worked in a carry out position do you get paid minimum wage or do you get paid similar to other waiters, who rely mostly on tips for their wages. I know at my restaurant the waitresses took care of the carry out along with their other tables.

Please go and read So you want to be a waiter's blog on this topic it is much more articulate than my random rambling. He poses a much better argument than I am able to, so check it out:
http://teleburst.wordpress.com/2010/01/27/why-should-i-tip-for-to-go-food-pt-1/

9 comments:

cd0103 said...

I always tip 10-15 % on carry out. I know they have to gather the stuff. Question is-- what do tip on delivery?

JumpIt said...

I tip around 15% when I do carry-out. I personally hate doing to-go orders when I'm at work for the exact reasons you've mentioned (and the fact it takes away from time with your tables).

Anonymous said...

I never go to a restaurant to carry out. Only drive thrus and take away places. When I go to a restaurant I like to sit there and eat. It is like a social thing for me

megaphon said...

I do tip on carry out. How much? It depends. So much for this.

Just wanted to let you know how to put a link in your post:

1. Write the text in which you want to include the link, like: "You can read the full post here."

2. You mark a part of the text, like the word 'here'.

3. You go to the menu above (where you can choose text color or size) and click on the little icon that looks like a tiny globe with two chain links.

4. In the pop-up-window, you insert the actual link.

5. Click OK.

Done!

Hope that helps!
megaphon

No L said...

I tip 15-18%. But I have guests that tip nothing and I have guest who tip 25-30%. It evens out over all. Guess we have all kinds carrying out.

Dirty Disher said...

There's a little link icon on the top of your posting page. It looks like a green globe with a chain link on it. :)

Anonymous said...

I usted to work car-side carry out at my old job (we took the orders, packaged the food and brought it out to the cars), and we were paid around $6/hr slightly less than minimum but more than the servers because we were less likely to be tipped. when we were however, the tips were generally 10-15%

Robert said...

Federal Law: "An employer of a tipped employee is only required to pay $2.13 per hour in direct wages if that amount combined with the tips received at least equals the federal minimum wage. If the employee’s tips combined with the employer’s direct wages of at least $2.13 per hour do not equal the federal minimum hourly wage, the employer must make up the difference. Many states, however, require higher direct wage amounts for tipped employees."

No one owes you shit except your boss. If you want more money then get a different job.

Anonymous said...

You should tip something on carry out - maybe not 20% but at least 10% - it all depends on the restaurant policy and how it works that you as a customer usually don't know! If it's a hostess that's getting your to go they prob get at least minimum wage- BUT If it's the bartender on a busy night that spends 5 minutes on the phone with you, then puts your order in , then takes the time to cash you out when you arrive- all meanwhile having to serve the customers in front of them and make all the servers drinks for their tables- THEN at the end of the night tip out the food runners and bussers based on their food sales - You should definitely TIP them! Take out is not meant to be - oh I feel like eating out but I don't want to tip - maybe it can be I feel like eating out but not paying for overpriced alcohol- but either way it is a service and makes your life easier! Think about it! We are not overpaid - some nights are great others really suck! Mostly it all averages out and we know what to expect in the business-ups&downs- but if you can afford the luxury of eating out please appreciate the people who chose this type of job - for whatever reason they did - and if you get good service - be nice ! If we weren't doing this you'd be cooking and cleaning your dishes every night !